The Eighth Bell and the Rebinding of Orannis
by GravitronII
Summary: This is a story based two years after the end of Abhorsen (the book), and has a lot to do with Orannis. PG just in case. Please R&R. SORRY decided to tweek the title since there's another story called the Eighth Bell!


THIS FIC WAS MADE BY GravitronII!  
  
Disclaimer:  
  
I do not own Sabriel, Lirael or Abhorsen or any of the characters or bells mentioned within it. In fact I do not own any of the places, characters or other stuff mentioned in this fic apart from the Eighth Bell (no spoilers allowed!) and every place in the Mathalarian Empire, including the Empire itself. Garth Nix owns everything I don't.  
  
That was long.  
  
Anyway, onto the main bit...  
  
THE EIGHTH BELL  
  
---PROLOGUE---  
  
The white mist that was the Emperor Yuvenkar's breath condensed on the gold-framed window as he looked out towards the city of Mathall. Grand palaces dissolved into the slums of the poor, and the ever-lasting cloud hung threateningly over the city.  
  
"Why?" the Emperor murmured, red robe flying out behind him.  
  
"Why?" he repeated.  
  
A drop of water splashed down from the top of the window. Yuvenkar watched it make its way down the windowsill and fly down to the city.  
  
He looked back into the welcoming warmth and light of the throne room. There was a sudden sharp rap on the door.  
  
"Enter!" he shouted in a commanding tone.  
  
A servant stumbled in carrying a piece of parchment, and then mumbled something inaudible.  
  
"Speak louder!" ordered Yuvenkar.  
  
"Sir, we received this letter yesterday! Please read it, your highness!"  
  
Yuvenkar took a few paces round the room as he held the letter up in front of him.  
  
"Emperor Yuvenkar," he began, "I have not been in touch for decades. Matha curse, I am sure this will be the last time we communicate. I write now from the Cosmic Sanctuary. My journey is at last coming to an end. If only I can unearth the true power of Sazzar, I am sure that Mathalar will be righted once again! It has taken me forty years for me to venture from Mathall through Belisaere to here. Around me rotate millions and billions of stars and planets. The cosmos revolves around me. Through this portal I stand in front of is the Crimson Temple, where I am sure Sazzar resides."  
  
"Fool," finished the Emperor.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"You are dismissed," waved Yuvenkar.  
  
After the servant had gone, the Emperor promptly tore up the letter into shreds and cast it around the room. How had this letter reached him if the writer was in the Sanctuary? He must have used a very clever message-hawk.  
  
=COSMIC SANCTUARY=  
  
A whole universe revolved around Terraphus. A quick comet flashed aboved him, and then the stars resumed their revolution around the floating platform.From here, the only way to go seemed to be back out again, but in the middle of the platform stood an arch of bone, ivory and silver.  
  
Terraphus touched this arc and muttered a few words that seemed to corrode his throat as they came out. The whole sanctuary glowed red for a few seconds, then there was a sudden flash of yellow light. Many, many arcane symbols lit up on the portal, then faded away, leaving a red warp taking up the space in the arch.  
  
Terraphus plunged his hand into this portal, drew it back out and walked into the portal, the red fluctuating surface enveloping him. After he had disappeared, a tiny drop of dark liquid fell from the 'sky' of the Sanctuary onto the archway.  
  
=ABHORSEN'S HOUSE=  
  
Lirael shivered at the thought of Orannis and looked at her hand that Sameth had made. What had happened to Orannis, though? Had the ninth and final bright shiner been knocked out once and for all? Or was Orannis simply hiding, storing up energy for a much more powerful final attack?  
  
But if he was, where could he be doing so?  
  
Question flew across Lirael's mind. Yrael, formerly Mogget, broke her thoughts by saying, "Lirael?"  
  
"What?" replied the Abhorsen-in-Waiting.  
  
"Orannis can't be dead."  
  
"How..."  
  
"We may have bound and re-bound him, but he has gone."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Not even I know that. All I know is that there are three possible routes he could have gone through: one is by passing through all the sanctums of each bright shiner and ending up in some mystic temple, another route is by passing through the Old Kingdom and going to another place, and a final possibility is a hide-out in Ancelstierre. Either way, we must stop him."  
  
"Why..."  
  
"Orannis must be stopped! Isn't it obvious why?"  
  
Lirael remained silent, and resumed staring into the sky, thinking. 


End file.
